6/11: Went to Pearrygin Lake for the first time with my kids and my sister, it was amazing to be…read morethere. Restrooms in day use were very clean and well stocked, and I appreciated the swimming area coned off away from boaters so my kids could swim safely. What I wanted to give the biggest shout out to is the staff. Particularly the staff member in the front office she was very kind and welcoming. Also the gentleman mowing the grass I believe he said his name was Griffin. My son approached him and he shut off the mower and answered every question that was asked. He was so polite and kind to my son it made his day. I definitely want to come back especially if Griffin is there, he really went out of his way to be nice and kind to my son even though that he was busy. Very good guest service.

Great small lake and park near Winthrop. Part of the lake is well-maintained and landscaped and…read morethere are plenty of tables and spots to have a picnic. Large, clean restrooms too. There is a swimming area sectioned off, and it would be a great spot for boating. Definitely a nice picturesque spot while in the North Cascades.

Falls Creek Falls is a trail north of Winthrop that takes you by falls (naturally). There's street…read moreparking at the beginning with a clearly marked trail to the base of the first waterfall. There are rocks to sit on watching the water fall and the water may spray you a little bit. Keep hiking to go higher and higher uncovering more parts of the waterfall. There are several smaller trails that lead you to pools of water by the falls for wading. The water is cold, but worth it for a refreshing dip.

Rafting for the first time was an amazing experience, thanks to Methow Rafting! The staff was…read moreincredibly friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. They took the time to ensure everyone understood the safety procedures and knew exactly what to do in case of an emergency. I was with a group of 15 middle school students, and they had an absolute blast. Our guide, Jason, was communicative, engaging, and so much fun to raft with. I heard the same positive comments about the other two guides as well. Dylan was a fun driver and photographer! Lunch was delicious as well :)) Thank you for making this such a memorable experience for all of us!

They were amazing super fun I wish they would have offered photos even just one of our group I…read morewould have paid happily for

This July 2012 hike was buried deep in my subconscious…read more On this hike I wished for a quick death to put me out of my misery. I would have been fine being ended by fire or becoming bear food. . But I'd do it again in a heartbeat. . The corgi in a backpack picture of Gunner (& myself) hails from this adventure on the dream-like bluffs above beautiful Lake Chelan. There are hikes and there are hikes which are requirements. The Chelan Lakeshore Trail is the latter. Crystal clear gem waters Icy oasis blue Omnipresent lake The taunting Chelan If there is a Billboard Top 100 for Hikes in the world, the Lakeshore will easily make the Top 10. No one will question the beauty of Lake Chelan. The deep green valley cuts into the Earth yielding the gin-clear glassy waters of the Chelan. Many don't hike the lake. Hordes party in our inland Washington Club Med in the town of Chelan. Thousands take a boat up the 55-mile sliver of a lake yearly. These are all noble and righteous ways to entertain The Lake, but to hike The Lakeshore---that is a memory maker. Just don't do it in the heat of summer (with short-legged doggies more suited for rainy climes). The hike. Yes, the hike. This 17.5 mile hike. The Lakeshore trail requires taking a boat ride. Plop your backpack on the dock, hop on the boat, and enjoy the views. The boat ride in and of itself is stunning. For those backpacking the 17.5, you will get dropped off at Prince Creek. It was eerie to see the boat pull away, and move up-lake like the boat from Apocalypse Now. Foreboding. It was a sunny (hot) August day, but you are on Lake Chelan, you're at the beginning of a legendary hike. Adventure pumps you. Our feet move us on a happy quickstep. The trail points skyward away. Yes for most of the hike, you aren't actually along the shore. With this deep cut gorge, you don't have many flat sandy beaches to walk along. You basically walk along the side of cliff walls and atop bluffs. The lake is close, but painfully and cruelly far away. This made me curse her. But the hike IS beautiful. Those first few miles had me snapping memories and photos. I didn't want to forget Mother Nature's beauty. I'd say after 2-3 miles is when Gunner (corgi #1), expressed issues. He'd simply stubbornly stop and lay down on the (burning) trail. This was not good. We had a 12-mile day. For another mile or so, I was able to coax and scream him to continue, but by Mile 4, his Lakeshore hike was done. What to do. We stopped along the trail under one of the few shady trees. We were all sweating, fatigued, baking. I didn't know what to do. We thought of MacGyver-ing a makeshift gurney, but it woul've only lasted 17 steps. Secretly, I thought of hiking the 4 miles BACK to Prince Creek, setting up tent along the water and waiting for the next boat & calling THAT my Lakeshore hike. We were dead. We had no options. I had to be "the man". Make a decision, damn it! I did. I laid down my ~35-lb pack, I pulled out my Thermarest and gave it to my sister. This freed up space in my pack. Space for a corgi. My 35-lb pack became 70lbs. I had a corgi in a backpack. It was amazing to see how my neurotic Gunner simply let me take his overheated body and place it in my pack with absolute zero fuss. We looked funny & happy (look at the picture). We now had a way to continue. It was funny to have a doggie in my backpack. He'd watch my fellow hikers behind me, and then look over my head forward (dropping slobber on my exposed neck & shoulder). This was fine for 1-2 miles, but then the fatigue began, and my feet began to explode. My joints weren't used to this weight. My feet started blistering. Water was limited. So, I couldn't stay completely hydrated. I needed more water due to the heat, but even more due to the extra load. This is how we went. I'd hike for a mile with a doggie on my back like Luke Skywalker with Yoda on his back in "The Empire Strikes Back". Then I'd have Gunner struggle to walk for a half mile. We alternated our Hells. All the while, Gomez (corgi #2) my other corgi persevered....well for another 8miles. Then he simply stopped. No screams moved him. I now had two nearly dead corgis, and my wimpy self was wishing for a quick death. We still had a couple of miles--nothing you'd say. But for us it was eternity. If it wasn't for my sister & her upbeat-ness, I would not have made it. Then we smelled campfire smoke. We were approaching the Moore Point campsite! Still had a mile to go, but it was downhill, the end was in sight, & the day was almost over. When we made it to Moore, we set up camp & jumped into the ICY water. I decided to end our hike (we'd recuperate and catch the boat in the morning). Some angels of the hike (who helped carry a corgi for a mile earlier), gave us a small bottle of Glenlivet--a wee dram did us good. I'll never forget that evening, that hike, that heat. And, I'd do it again. No question.

This is a short little hike to a couple of waterfalls on Cedar creek. Roundtrip it's about 3.5…read moremiles if you just go to the falls. Elevation gain is approximately 500 feet. There are views of the surrounding North Cascades mountains and you'll enjoy the sounds of Cedar creek for most of your hike as it flows just below most of the trail. If you're a more ambitious sort, you can continue up the creek and over the ridge eventually connecting to the Pacific Crest Trail. Turn left for Mexico, right for Canada.

A short 1.75 mile trail gets you to two beautiful alpine lakes. A little longer and you can reach…read morethe summit of Labyrinth Mountain (an official summit with a register). The main downside is that most of that 1.75 miles is super steep and unforgiving. I think technically it's not even a real trail, it's a "route" -- basically just a path to get you up as quickly as possible. But you'll forget all of your suffering as soon as you reach the lakes. You'll see the shores of Minotaur with Labyrinth Mountain in the background, and there are trails going around both sides of the lake, with plenty of nice campsites available. If you go around the right side of the lake, the network of trails will lead to many viewpoints down to Theseus Lake. You can get down to Theseus, too, but it's a steep fisherman's trail that descends several hundred feet, so not recommended unless you really want solitude. The social network of trails to Labyrinth can make the summit trip a little longer depending on what path you choose, but the openness of the terrain ensures that you won't get lost. There's a false summit or two. Facing Labyrinth from Minotaur Lake, the true summit is on the right. There's a summit register you can sign and glorious views, including Lake Wenatchee and Glacier Peak. I went in the summer, but it would be gorgeous in the fall with the brilliant colors, and I saw a lot of huckleberry plants.

My husband and I hiked this trail today. It is super steep right from the beginning down where you…read morepark. There's no actual parking lot but plenty of room for a dozen cars to park down below on the side of the road. We only saw four other people the entire time we were there. It took us an hour and 20 minutes to get to Minotaur Lake from parking. It only took us about 10 minutes less to go down... As I said it's very steep!!! I highly recommend going over to see Theseus Lake and the vista (to the right when you see Minotaur Lake). It was 80° in Leavenworth today but it was under 60 when we got up to the lake so be sure you take sleeves. You should also take bug spray with DEET.... The mosquitoes are heavy in places. Most of the hike is in shaded areas in afternoon.

Donna at the Riverwalk Park Inn was amazing! We brought a group of twenty people to the Inn…read morepreseason and Donna bent over backwards and scrabbled like crazy to get the Inn ready early for our group. We were all taking the boat to Stehekin the next day and Donna made sure we had coffee and pastries before we left for the day and also picnic lunches to take on the boat. The rooms were clean and in excellent condition - we even had a couple of outdoor areas where our group could gathered in the evening and socialize. We all had an excellent time while in Chelan and the Riverwalk Park Inn was a big part of it.

Located on the edge downtown, a beautiful 1 mile loop stroll around the cove. Benches along the…read morepath, a large deck overlook halfway around, and couple bridges on each end. And of course, the pristine water is why you come to see and enjoy. A nice breather after dinner in town.

Spontaneous Saturday trip to Diablo Lake in Northern Washington but we parked and stayed in Thunder…read moreKnob Trailhead. We drove for almost 3 hours, but when we were looking for a place to park, I lost my signal sevice! Diablo Lake is big and long! We found a spot to relax and swim, but the water was 10°C (so cold, hahaha!). It's still a gorgeous place to visit! Remember, it's better with chairs, snacks, kayaks, paddleboards, and drinks! It's so nice to set aside city and technology life! Just for sure, we are looking to rest and swim and not to hike! But still it is a beautiful nature to see

A vibrant trail with some sensational views! The Thunder Knob trail is a short but moderate 3.5…read moremile out and back trail that's located within North Cascades National Park. The trail begins just behind Diablo Lake and crosses over the beautiful rushing waters of Colonial Creek. It then begins to gently switchback through a lush forest that's filled with beautiful Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock trees. The trail is mostly shaded but features a few breaks within the trees that will reveal some amazing glimpses of the snowcapped mountaintops. As you ascend up the trail, you're rewarded with gorgeous views of the forest and mountains. The forest vegetation is super versatile. I was able to spot daisies, ferns, Western Hemlocks, Douglas Firs, an array of different wildflowers, and so on. The views are the best at the top, of course. There's this stunning vista point that features an aerial view of Diablo Lake with the striking North Cascades Mountain Range in the background. If there was ever a time to get a photo while on this hike, THIS is where you need to do it. It's simply breathtaking to witness. This is also a great spot to bring a picnic and/or take a lunch or snack break for heading back down to finish the second half of the hike. What I genuinely loved about this trail (aside from the views) was how incredibly green it is. The vibrancy is out of this world. Also, to see how clear Diablo Lake is from the top is just insane. It doesn't even look real, but it definitely is! The best part about hiking this trail is being able to literally walk right down to lake to relax after you've finished your hike. It's the perfect reward, and hiking this trail was truly a wonderful experience.

So pretty!! I just…read morecame here for the weekend and I love it. The walks here are stunning. The views of chelan. The mountains! The choppy water. Amazing panoramic views all over. Park is currently open but faculties are closed. Still make it a fun little stop on your walk/ run or even a drive. Beautiful views!

Amazing cute little park in the cutest town. Walking distance from our hotel . We walked to rent a…read moreboat from Shoreline at this park one day. Best service! Walked here and swam wit the fam. Lifeguards are super friendly! And they have life jackets at park to borrow - how kind is that. You can walk into the water and swim. Another plus is there are actual bathrooms and they were clean!

One of the most beautiful and undiscovered locations in all of Washington. The forest roads are…read morenot paved but still fine to drive on. Plenty of places to take in the vistas and escape the bustle of city life. In the two days I was birding the forest trails in this forest I never ran into two people, on a popular hiking trail. Check the weather reports as freeze-out ridge gets very cold in fall, go figure, you could easily get stranded by a snow storm, and no one would find you. This is one of the only areas where the boreal forest extends down into WA from Canada so the wildlife, trees and feel of the place is very different then you might be used to. It is a great spot to tick off the Boreal birds in Washington state. There was a huge fire around here in the summer of 2006 and I haven't been back since so I don't know how bad the damage was.